Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 release date, specs: Smartphone may be dust and water-resistant; likely to come out next month

A promotional image for the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016. Samsung

Samsung always refreshes its Galaxy A lineup every year, so everyone is expecting them to do the same this year. Sources say the 2017 edition of the Samsung Galaxy A7 may come out next month, just in time for the holiday season. The 2016 edition of the smartphone also came out in early December last year, so this is right on cue.

The Galaxy A7 2017 has already been spotted on a number of benchmarking websites the past few months, and this time it was granted Bluetooth certification by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. Aside from that, SamMobile says the handset may be IP68 certified as well, which means it may be water and dust-resistant.

Some sources believe the Galaxy A7 2017 is going to be a 5.5-inch or 5.7-inch phone while others think it will be 5.68 inches in size. Whichever size it is, the handset may feature a Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080p.

Reports say the Galaxy A7 2017 may have a 16-megapixel front and rear camera, 3 GB of random access memory (RAM), and 32 or 64 GB of internal storage space that can be expanded up to 256 GB with the help of a microSD card. It will also have an Exynos 7870 octa-core processor with a clock rate of 1.8 GHz, a Mali-T830MP2 graphics processing unit (GPU), and a Cortex-A53 central processing unit (CPU). Furthermore, the Galaxy A7 2017 may feature a fingerprint scanner, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, and a compass.

The handset will run on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system out of the box. But an upgrade to Android 7.0 Nougat should be available in the future.

It should be noted that Samsung has yet to announce the specs and release date of the Galaxy A7 2017. Until an announcement is made, all reports concerning the smartphone are rumors at best, so readers are advised to take everything with a grain of salt.

News
Over £900,000 awarded to help UK churches stay open amid growing funding pressures
Over £900,000 awarded to help UK churches stay open amid growing funding pressures

Hundreds of churches across the UK are receiving vital financial support to remain open and safe, as rising repair costs and shrinking funding streams place historic buildings under increasing strain.

How to make the most of the quiet period between Christmas and New Year
How to make the most of the quiet period between Christmas and New Year

Make the most of these last days of the year to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with God.

US carries out strikes on Islamic State in Nigeria over violence against Christians
US carries out strikes on Islamic State in Nigeria over violence against Christians

The US military has conducted airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Nigeria over the violent "targeting" of Christians. 

Gay Archbishop of Wales says some people have left Church over her appointment
Gay Archbishop of Wales says some people have left Church over her appointment

The first openly gay Archbishop of Wales says her appointment has caused some people to leave the Church in Wales.